
Step One: Figure out how to spell “boutonniere.” Step Two: Despite looking it up, still spell “boutonniere” wrong several times in this intro. Step Three: Forfeit elementary school spelling bee trophies. Looks like we could still use some French lessons, but while we work on that, get 21 wedding style lessons from these dapper dudes. Check out these unique, lapel-worthy boutonnieres to inspire your groom and his guys.
1. Rustic Chic Georgia Wedding: Keeping your wedding flowers to a single color can end up looking outdated, so we absolutely adore this cohesive medley of dynamic bouts that forgo the matchy-matchy look. (via Ruffled)
2. DIY Geometric Boutonniere: Get your gals together to make some adorably modern, yet down-to-earth suit candy. This tutorial is everything. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
3. Navy + Ivory DIY Boutonnieres: Created by the bride, these unique nuptial nuggets included beer bottle caps for a masculine edge. (via Confetti Daydreams)
4. Preserved Flowers: What?! These vintage-looking bouts (available on Etsy) are made with preserved flowers so they last through the shipping process and beyond. (via Waterfall Creative)
5. Wizard of Oz: This Wizard of Oz-inspired shoot is heaven, complete with ruby red slippers and a heart for the Tin Man of your dreams. Just make sure you do a little dance to keep the tornados/witches at bay. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
6. Country Cool: With hints of Tennessee all over the place, these cotton and gingham boutonnieres were perfect for this hitching. (via KLP Photography)
7. Safety Pin Chic: Metallic Leather and an unexpected safety pin come together for a super sweet brooch-turned-boutonniere. Grab one on Etsy or make it yourself! (via SuperDuperThings)
8. Handcrafted Sonora Style: Um, these glitter-bombed boutonnieres are indeed cool… but holy crap, this entire wedding is like a magazine spread. We have no words. (via Ruffled)
9. Military-Inspired Medals: Rather than the traditional flowers, show your man he’s really won your heart with this cute bout. This tutorial has all the deets. (via Etsy Blog)
10. Dallas Brights: We’re going to have to have, like, 20 more weddings just to use all these ideas. (via Style Me Pretty)
11. DIY Pom Pom Boutonniere: Pom poms, we can’t get enough. (via One Fab Day)
12. Coral Roses: The punches of neon and aqua keep these otherwise traditional boutonnieres current. Anyone know what those fuschia sprigs are? (via Belle)
13. Action Figures Angle: Admittedly, these superheroes kind of look like they are being burned at the stake… but we are super into them anyway! The coordinating gingham, stunning blogger bride and jaw-dropping bouquet aren’t too shabby either. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
14. Origami: This groom has no need for a boutonniere when he’s rocking this folded paper crane pocket square. Paper cranes are supposed to bring good luck, too! (via NANAZOOLAN)
15. Simple Greens: Your man isn’t fussy, so why should his flowers be? (via Southern Weddings)
16. Warehouse Wedding: Almost neon red, these little guys will brighten up any old suit. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
17. Shotgun Shell Boutonniere: Forget the shotgun wedding thing and do the shotgun boutonniere thing instead. (via ItsADucksLife)
18. Neon Plaid: Not sure what we like better… this electric bout or the electric tie. Thoughts? (via The Knot)
19. DIY Succulent Boutonniere: We love succulents of all kinds, and this trendy plant is even better on a lapel. This tutorial features frosty shades of desert plants and helps you figure out how to wire them yourself. (via Creature Comforts)
20. Toy Treasures: Some Pez dispensers had to die to create these super cute and campy suit stunners… and it was definitely worth it. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
21. Malibu Forest: Cool tones are exactly right for this cool wedding. Also, cool hair? This bride and groom (and all their friends) have amazing hair. (via The Wedding Chicks)
What’s gonna be sitting on your groom’s lapel come the big day? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures